What We Do

A common assessment is utilized throughout the Heartland Continuum of Care to facilitate a household’s placement on the Coordinated Entry list. The assessment collects participant’s homeless history and other essential information to determine eligibility and priority for supportive housing referrals. Households can only access Permanent Supportive Housing and Rapid Rehousing opportunities through the Coordinated Entry System. 

Coordinated Entry covers the HCoC’s entire geographic area of Sangamon County. One of the primary goals of the HCoC’s Coordinated Entry System is for the system to be easily accessible and welcoming to the wide range of people who may experience a housing crisis in Sangamon County. Therefore, multiple types of access points are available for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. The intake and referral process will be consistent across all access points so that participants receive seamless care regardless of which access point they use to enter the system.

Click here for the complete list of Coordinated Entry Access Points.

Coordinated Entry Documentation 

Coordinated Entry System in Sangamon County (Pathway to Housing)

Heartland Continuum of Care: Coordinated Entry Policies and Procedures Manual

Coordinated Entry Assessment Guideline

Coordinated Entry Housing Programs' Eligibility Criteria Table

All those referred must be eligible to receive services at the agency they are referred to. The only way to access Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Rehousing Programs (RRH) is through the Coordinated Entry System. 

Rapid Re-Housing Programs

Permanent Supportive Programs

Definitions 

Flowchart of HUD’s Definition of Chronic Homelessness

HUD Binder: Continuum of Care Program

Rapid Rehousing Community Standards

Permanent Supportive Housing Community Standards

Street Outreach Community Standards

Why is HMIS Data Important?
Because all Heartland Continuum of Care data is housed in HMIS, the database serves as the CoC’s primary source of information when making data-informed decisions in homelessness planning. HMIS is only as useful as the quality of the data being entered by users, which is part of why participation in HMIS is a vital piece of the homelessness system. 

MERCY Communities serves as the HMIS Lead for the Heartland Continuum of Care.

Every CoC-funded project is required to participate in HMIS, though other homelessness projects may also have funders who also require this participation as well. Participation in HMIS entails individual agencies entering and maintaining their client and project data in this centralized system. 

HCoC HMIS Policy (approved 10/22)

If you are an agency that is interested in gaining access to HMIS, please complete these forms below. 

New User HMIS Form

New Project Form

Heartland Continuum of Care training platforms

Wellsky Training Center

Log in to Wellsky to learn how to utilize Service Point (HMIS)

Learning Management System

Heartland HMIS and COC training 

Supportive Housing Learning Labs

Standards For Quality Supportive Housing Guide

Housing First, Harm Reduction and Trauma Informed Care: Learner’s Guide

Standards of Quality: Learner’s Guide

Standards of Quality: Learner's Guide

Session 1 Slides can be found here.

Session 3 slides can be found here.

Community Street Outreach Standards and Best Practices

Partners from throughout the community are working to better collaborate on outreach efforts. This training is a great way to learn more about Street Outreach Efforts and Best Practices

HCoC Point in Time Count Webinar

For a copy of these slides click here

Heartland HOUSED & Homebase Training Series

Heartland HOUSED and Homebase have partnered to provide trainings in connection to the development of Community Standards for Heartland Continuum of Care programs. Videos of all the trainings are down below.

Homeless Response System Training

For a copy of the slides for this training click here

Effective Case Management Training

For a copy of the slides for this training click here

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for Service Providers Training

For a copy of the slides for this training click here

Homelessness Prevention Guidelines and Training

Fifth Street Renaissance provided information and training for community members and services providers to utilize Homelessness Prevention funds for eligible households that are in danger of eviction, foreclosure, or homelessness.

We want to uplift the voices of those that have lived experience of homelessness and ensure that voice is being integrated in the efforts in our community. This board will be used in an advisory capacity in conjunction with the Heartland HOUSED Strategy Board and the Heartland Continuum of Care board.

Before you apply….

Want to join the board?

If you are someone that has experienced homelessness in their life and are interested, apply to join the Lived Experience Advisory Board.

** All applications are reviewed by the HCOC board. Once final decisions are made, applicants will be contacted whether or not they were selected.

If you prefer a paper copy of this application, contact us.

~We aim to empower those who were once powerless~